West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-08-25
SHIBBOLEIH.
DIR, TALMAGE's SUNDAY SERMON
A Religious Platform Upon Which An
Good People May Unite.

y
ne could not frame TO pronounce IL right.
Then they took him and sle,0 him at the pas
SGges Of Jordan. Judges xii, g.
Do you notice the difference OF pronuncia-
ton between shibboleth and sibbolethi A
very small and unimportant difference, YOU
say. And yet that difference was the differ
ence between life and death for n great many
people. Tho Lcrd's people, Giead and
Ephraim, got into great fight and Ephraim
was worsted, and ON tho retreat came
TO the fords OF the river jordan 10
cross. Order was given that all Euphrnini-
ties coming there should bc slain But how
could IL be found out who were
Ephraimites! They were detected by their
pronunciation. Shibboleth was word that
stood for river. The Ephraimites had "A
brogue of their own, and when they tried To
say shibboieth always left out the sound OF
the "hn When 10 was asked that thcy say
shibboeth they said sibbolcth, and were slain
Chen said they unto him. Say now Shibbo-
leth and he said Sibboleth, for he could not
frame TO pronounce il right Then they took
him and slew him at the passage Of Jordan"
a very small difference, you say, betwocn
Gilea.d and Ephraim, and vet how much u-
tolerance about that small difference The
Lords trib5 in our timely which ! mean
the different denominations OF Christians
sometimes magnify very small difference,
and the only difference between scores of de-
nominations 10 day is the difference between
shibboleth and sibbolcth.
The church OF God is divided into great
plumber OF denominations. Time would fail
me 10 tell of the Calviuists, and the Armin-
fans and the Sabbatariaiis and tho Baxter
fans aud the Dunkers, aud the Shakers, and
the Quakers, and the Meth0dists, and tho
Baptists aud the EpiscoplliauS. and the
IlutheTans, and the CongrcgatiOnaliSts and
the Presbyterians, and the Spiritualists, and
a scone of other denominations OF religionists,
some OF them founded by very good men,
some OF thelG founded 10y very egotistie men,
and some OF them founded hy very bad moH
Il.,Na
science, / must give that same liberty TO
every other man, remembering that he no
more differs from me than dliter from him.
Iadvocate the largest liberty in ali religious
belief and form OF worship. In arr ~
politics, in morals, and I'm religion let there
be no gag law, no moving Of the pPnyious
question, no persecution, no intolerance.
You know that the air and the water keep
pure by constant circulat on, and / think
there is n tendency in religious discussion to
FABRICATION and moral health Between the
Fourth and the Sixteenth centuries The church
proposed TO make people think Alright by pro-
hibiting discussion and by strong censorship
of the press, and by rack, and gibbot, and
hot lead down che throat tried TO make peO-
pie orthodox: but &c was discovered that you
cannot change n mans belief by twisting
OF his head, and that you cannot make n man
see things differently by putting an anvil
through his eyes. There is something in a
mans conscience which will huTl of tho
mountain that YOU throw upon it, and, I'M
ainged of the fire, out of the flame will mako
red wings on which the martyr will mount TO
glory.
In that time of which l speak, between the
Fourth and Sixteenth centuries. people went
from the house of God into the most Rppal-
ing iniquity, and right along by consecrated
affairs there were tides of drunkenness and
RIGHTEOUSNESS such as the world never heard
OF, and the very sewers OF peFdition broke
loose and flooded the church. After a while
the printing press was freed, and il broke the
shackles of the human mind Then there
came large number of bad books, but where
there was one man hostile 10 the Christian
religion there were twenty men ready 20 adj
Toeate it; so have not any nervousness in
regard TO this battle going on between truth
and error.
The truth viii conquer just as certainly as
that God is stronger than the devil. Let
error run II you only let truth run along
with 1t. Urged on by skeptic's shout and
transcendentalist's spur, let il run. Gods
angels of wrath are I'm hot pursuit. and
quicker than eagles beak catches out q
hawks heart Gods vengeance will tear it to
pieces.
Ipropose this incoming to speak to you Of sec
tai1anism-its origin, its evils and its curses.
There are those who woGld make us think
that this monSter, with hoFns and hoofs,
IS religion. | shall chase it TO It's hiding
place. and drag it out OF the cayeTns OF
darkness and rip off his hide. But / want TO
make distinction between bigotry and the
lawful fondness for peculiar religious beliefs
and forms Of worship have no admiration
for Nottingham.
IN world of such tremendous vicissitude
and temptation, and with a soul that must
after while stand before a throne Of insult
ferable LsightneSs. in n day when the rock
ing of the TnOuDt Iins and the flaming OF the
heavens and the bpheuval Of the sea shall be
among the least Of tie eNCtements to give
account for every thought, word. action,
preference and dslike-tbat maa IL mad who
mas no religious preference. But our carly
education, our physical temperament, our
mental constitution viii very much decide
our form Of WOrshiP.
a style of psalmOdy thai may please me
may displease YOU Some would like to have
a minister in gown, and bands, and surplice,
and other prefer TO have minister ip plain
citizens app. rel. Some are most impressed
when a little child is presented at the altar
and sprinkled VITA the waters of n holy bene-
diction Gin the name Of the Father and OF
the Son, and OF the itolY Ghost" and others
are more impressed WIEN the prHitent comes
up out OF the river, his garments dripping
with the waters Of a baptism which Il tHGcs
the washing away of sin. let eithor have
his own way. One man likes 40 noise in
prayer, not a word, not a whisper. Another
man just as good prefers By gcsticulatiOu and
exclamation 10 express his devotional a-pira-
tons. One Is just as good as the other.
Every man fully persuaded in his own
mind a"
George White6eid vas going overs Quaker
tatftef roughly Tor HOhte ~ niS religions souti-
meuts. and the Quaker said George j am
~ thou art: avn for bringiugHii men TO the
hope Of the Gospel therefore III thou wilt not
quarrel with nae about my broad brim / viii
not quarrel with thss about thy black gown
George, give me tlv hand
IT, tracing ont the religion III aootarian-
ism, o. bigOtry. ] find that r. 1Feat dogt III it
comes from wrong education in tbe home
circle. There are parents who do not think
40 wrong o. cnfjcaturs and iecr the peculiar
forms Of Telig i0H i9 the world and denouuce
other sects and OtbeY denominations. IL is
very often the case that thar kind IT educa-
ton acts justs opposite % what vas expected.
ana the children grow up ana, sHeT g Will
20 and zee for bhemseve3. aud lookia1 iu
those churches. and finding that the paop'e
are good there and they iyva God onl keep
his commandments. bY Hatgru REACTION th.t
20 and Join those very cIuF ae-. ! rpuIl
mention tIc names Oi prominent ministers of
the gospa ul1 spent ther whole lives bone
harding other approximations and who IrcI
% see their chIi1rfr preach the Gospel iD
thOse very denominations Egt 30 is often the
case that bigOtrY starts in q Lg4snlOld and
that the subject n BE- never recOvers There
are tens Of thousands " bg0ts Q years Cd
think sectariauism AMI bgOfgy also rise
from TOO great prominence Of any Cpa de-
nomination iu community. AN the 6thsg
denominations are wrong, and bis deuomina.
ton b. right because Die denomination is tho
most wealthy. or The most HJg1l1r. or the
most Influential, and it d. our giHs rcl. aud
"Our" religious organization .apj our choir.
and "ourF minister. and tis InaH fosses bs
head and wants other denominations 90 know
their places. Rise yr lf deal better in any
community when the vr.l q lI...l.rfr4f ions ~